Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Coquimbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Coquimbo: $555 a month against $1,183 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Coquimbo
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Coquimbo Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Coquimbo

🇨🇱 Chile

$555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Coquimbo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santiago and in Coquimbo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Santiago versus $555 in Coquimbo.

Santiago $1,183
Coquimbo $555

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,882 in Santiago versus $927 in Coquimbo.

Santiago $1,882
Coquimbo $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,581 in Santiago versus $1,300 in Coquimbo.

Santiago $2,581
Coquimbo $1,300

Living in Santiago is roughly 113% more expensive than in Coquimbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 13% lower, Coquimbo 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 CLP 9,995

$6.84 CLP 6,737

48.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

$46.62 CLP 45.9K

11.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 CLP 8,423

$6.13 CLP 6,039

39.64%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CLP 3,101

$3.48 CLP 3,430

-9.48%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CLP 1,685

$1.14 CLP 1,125

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CLP 1,255

$1.00 CLP 984

28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 CLP 4,118

$4.15 CLP 4,081

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 CLP 4,390

$4.52 CLP 4,447

-1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,269

$1.01 CLP 992

27.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 CLP 1,737

$3.11 CLP 3,060

-43.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,630

$1.21 CLP 1,193

37.19%

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,140

$2.62 CLP 2,583

60.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

$8.14 CLP 8,010

36.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,641

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,927

$1.35 CLP 1,331

45.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,518

$1.82 CLP 1,796

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,560

$0.99 CLP 977

59.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 CLP 1,713

$0.99 CLP 975

75.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 CLP 1,075

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,509

$1.26 CLP 1,245

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,163

$0.60 CLP 587

96.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,060

$1.31 CLP 1,292

-17.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 CLP 5,101

$5.05 CLP 4,971

2.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 CLP 6,070

$8.21 CLP 8,079

-24.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CLP 1,511

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CLP 2,325

$4.63 CLP 4,562

-49.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 824

$0.84 CLP 830

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 CLP 416

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 CLP 869

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 CLP 1,462

$1.35 CLP 1,327

10.37%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$149 CLP 146.3K

$102 CLP 100.3K

45.89%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

$12.45 CLP 12.3K

-2.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

$25.08 CLP 24.7K

32.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

$5.01 CLP 4,929

129.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 CLP 7,208

$4.03 CLP 3,965

81.64%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$436 CLP 429.2K

$259 CLP 255.0K

68.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

$29.0K CLP 28.5M

-62.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

$46.90 CLP 46.2K

4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

$25.18 CLP 24.8K

15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

$61.2 CLP 60.2K

7.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

$81.2 CLP 79.9K

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CLP 545.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 CLP 376.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 CLP 762.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 CLP 766.3K

$602 CLP 592.4K

29.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

7.80%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Last update for Coquimbo: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$383 32.3%

Coquimbo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Coquimbo

$154 * 27.8% 34.8% $82

Eating Out

Santiago

$186 15.8%

Coquimbo

$153 27.7% 17.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$180 15.2%

Coquimbo

$114 * 20.6% 36.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Coquimbo

$96 17.4% 4.2% $4.3

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Coquimbo

$3.4 * 0.6% 93.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Coquimbo

$33 6% 30.9% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Santiago pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Santiago vs $47.00 in Coquimbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $154 per month, with Coquimbo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇱 Coquimbo

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

Same time as Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

204,068

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Santiago Coquimbo 390 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Santiago vs Coquimbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago and Coquimbo differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($1,183 vs $555 including rent). Coquimbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Santiago, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $259 in Coquimbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Coquimbo – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $52.0 in Santiago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $555 in Coquimbo versus $1,183 in Santiago, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Coquimbo but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes Coquimbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Coquimbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.